


A Seventh

by KateKintail



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - The Soulmate Goose of Enforcement, F/M, Goose-typical violence, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Polydwarves Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-15 02:44:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16925052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KateKintail/pseuds/KateKintail
Summary: Though happy with the six dwarves in their marriage, when a flock of soulmate geese arrive, the family sets out to find their seventh soulmate.





	A Seventh

**Author's Note:**

> This is a soulmate AU where one person finds a goose who leads them to the other person. The difficulty comes in not being mauled by a goose

They were spread throughout their small residence when the flock of geese visited for the last time. They had been through this several times before, each time one of them felt the need to add another to their family and sometimes when no one even knew that was how they felt. Somehow the geese knew. They always knew this sort of thing. 

The worst time yet had been the geese that arrived to lead them to Toron. That flock had had a number of issues. First, the geese had arrived in the middle of the night, very nearly scaring Gloin, Oin, Nord, and Sima to death after pulling them from sound sleeps in their four-dwarf bed. Next, the geese had had a hard time navigating through the cave system to find Toron in the remote cavern where he'd set up his training area. And, third, the geese had nearly been killed by Toron when the flock found him. You didn't mess with Toron the Dwarf. And he was precisely what the family had needed. 

So they had to wonder, when they started hearing the distant honks of geese, what the family could possibly need this time. They had their sweetheart in Sima. They had their leader in Gloin. They had their healer in Oin. They had their storyteller in Nord. They had their protector in Toron. And they had their artist in Frár. Their family felt complete, apart from the sound of little dwarfling feet running through the cave system. But that element would take time, they all knew. They had been patient and persistent and optimistic that their efforts would soon pay off.

But that didn't explain the flock visiting them now. It flew in a V-shaped formation despite the narrow halls and low cave ceilings, as if it had been in the tight spaces of many dwarven homes before and expected to be in many thereafter. The geese landed by their front door, and the geese began restlessly pecking at the dirt for something to eat, pacing around, waiting to be let out. 

The six dwarves stood just short of the entryway, whispering quickly but quietly among themselves. 

“Were you wishing for a seventh?”

“No, not me, Gloin.”

“Nor me either!”

“The thought didn't even occur to me. At least, I don't believe it did.”

“I'm satisfied and happy with what we have here already. You, Toron?”

“We have even numbers now for combat practice. Why would I ruin that? Ask Frár. He's the romantic and the dreamer around here.”

“ Frár?”

“Oh no. I would never presume to dream for the whole family. You only just welcomed me into the family within the past year.”

“Things were just settling into normalcy.”

“I like what we've got here.”

“We don't need another husband.”

They all fell silent at this statement. It was true that they were all satisfied with that they currently had. Everyone's needs were met. Their dynamics were strong, appealing, and melded together so wonderfully. They felt complete. 

And, yet, they all had been concerned at one time or another throughout the past year. Was there a more serious reason they didn't have a dwarfling yet? Was Sima infertile? Were all the husbands? Oin had given them foul-tasting herbal concoctions that were supposed to help with this, but so far, those hadn't worked. And it wasn't for lack of trying, either. They loved each other deeply, but they were all fiercely attracted to each other. Keeping their hands off each other was more of a problem than the reverse. If every time they made love resulted in a dwarfling, they should have had millions of little ones running through the tunnels by now. It wasn’t uncommon for dwarves to produce few progeny, but having large families of husbands usually sped the process along. 

Was the reason the geese wanted to lead them to a new mate because they were intrinsically broken and didn't want to admit it? If they didn't follow the geese now, if they didn't add a seventh to their marriage bed, would they ever have a child? 

“I think we have to let them out,” Sima whispered, her hands both pressed to her heart. “I think we must follow them and see where they lead.”

“Aye, you're right. We don't have a choice,” agreed Nord. 

“Unless we never want to open our front door again,” Frár pointed out. Oin laughed and put his arm around him. 

Not knowing how long this was going to take, and noting that the geese seemed relatively peaceful at the moment, each finished up their work and packed a light travel bag. Sima made sure all their favorite foods were accounted for. Oin packed some basic care supplies in case any of them got injured along the way. Toron made sure they were well equipped with knives and axes. Nord packed his favorite book. Or two. Or three. He also gathered bedrolls for everyone, tying the blankets onto each bag so everyone carried one, though when it came to sleeping, they would probably all pile up together anyway the way they did when squeezing into their small bed at home. As the most recent addition to the marriage, it was traditional for Frár to pack a small gift to bestow upon their new soulmate whenever he or she was found. And Gloin found some useful maps, so they would always know roughly where they were as they followed the flock of geese.

They were ready to depart within the hour, feeling altogether cautiously optimistic and curious. It wasn't every day you met your soulmate. Though, for dwarves, that usually happened more than just once in their lives. 

Gloin risked getting bitten to wade into the sea of geese. He felt them nipping at his shins as he went for the rusty, old door locks. The stubborn things tended to stick pretty badly, so they took some force and usually a blade to pry open. Luckily, they didn't often have many visitors. When he finally threw open the ultimate latch on the door, the geese began honking and spilled out into the cave passageways beyond. Their new soulmate could, in fact, be anywhere, could be in any direction. There were an almost endless number of tunnels.

But the geese seemed to know right where they wanted to go. As one, they began waddling toward the right. Gloin and his family headed after them, locking the door to their home on the way out, just in case. At first, there wasn't much talking. They were all too set on following the geese. But it didn't take long for the excitement to wear thin and for small side conversations to form among them. 

“How long did you look for me?” Frár asked when it occurred to him that they'd never told him that bit of information. 

“Just short of two days,” Nord told him. “Pretty, short, actually. The whole trip took us less than a week. Not altogether too much walking and far fewer violent goose-related injuries sustained than on the trip to find Toron.” 

“That wasn't my fault,” Toron said, turning around and expertly walking backwards so he could narrow his eyes at these two of his husbands. “There I was, minding my own business when a handful of geese attacked me. What was I supposed to do?” 

“Well, you could have kissed us and gotten rid of them,” Nord pointed out. “Instead of trying to slit all their throats with your axes and bag them for that night's dinner.”

Toron shrugged. “I was hungry. I...” He trailed off. Toron didn't like to talk much about the days before he'd joined the family, but they all knew he hadn't been the most well off of dwarves. He'd had to fight for everything in life. And even though he was an excellent fighter, things didn't always go his way. You can't win every battle. But he wasn't foolish enough to turn down a potential meal when it flew straight at him. “I bet you two couldn't bag all these geese if you tried,” he finally said to the two of them. 

“Accurate,” replied Nord, who never fought about anything but literary interpretation or, at worst, what book to read next. Sure, he joined in on every practice session Toron held for them, going through the motions as best he could, keeping fit. But his head was never in it. Frár was much the same, though his coordination was a bit better to start with. Often they two were paired together in practices, as they were so evenly matched. “But that's a good thing, or I wouldn't be here now. Maybe none of us would be but Oin, Gloin, and Sima.”

They quieted down at this, trying to think about what it would be like for their marriage to be missing half its members. Frár had only joined them a year ago, but already they wondered how they ever got along without him. Every room of their home now had at least one piece in it that he had sculpted. But he also created useful items from stone, like their new table. That piece had taken him an especially long time, because he had carved intricate details into the sides. One side had the symbols of their house, for example, while another showed a flock of geese. Carving images of geese into a stone table as much different from carving actual geese up for dinner, however. Everyone in the house had his or her own strengths, weaknesses, talents, and passions. And everyone was free to be who they were. Not every dwarf family was like that. Some had strict rules set by a single dwarf or the original mated pair. Some were carefully controlled. Some were too big to be controlled. Every family was different, but the geese had pulled them together for a reason. 

And they must have a reason for this now. But the geese weren't telling. They honked and pecked at rock as they went along, the sounds echoing back through the tunnel to the six of them. It would be impossible to lose track of the flock, no matter how dark the tunnels ahead were or how complex their passages. Geese were not the quietest of creatures, and maybe that was why they made such good soulmate indicators? They were impossible to miss and even more impossible to ignore. 

“That goose in the front with its tail feathers all rumpled and its head high in the air reminds me of Gloin,” Sima said to Oin in whisper too soft for him to hear.

“Pardon?” The honking and the bootsteps filled the small space with simply too much noise. 

She giggled and repeated herself more loudly this time. Perhaps too loudly, but that couldn't be helped. 

Behind her, Toron easily overheard and laughed heartily. “Oh aye! It does!” 

In front of her, Oin smiled with amusement and in front of him, Gloin stopped walking and turned around. Everyone else was forced to stop as well, so they wouldn't bump into each other and cause a dwarf family pileup. He glared at them all, wiping the smiles off their faces at once. “How dare you compare me to that goose,” he said, staring straight at Sima as he spoke. Toron stepped closer to her and tightened his grip on his axe in case he was called upon to make a show of force. Though something felt wrong to all of them about the whole situation. “My rear end is far more attractive than that goose's!” He turned his back to them all, bent over, and shook his rump back and forth in demonstration. 

The entire party broke out into laughter. Oin put a hand on Gloin's back as Gloin straightened back up. “Our deepest apologies. You're absolutely right.”

“Thank you for setting us straight,” Sima thanked him kindly. She stepped forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. Then she nudged him forward and they all started forward again, faster at first so that they could catch up to the geese. 

According to the map, they were approaching one of the larger dwarven underground settlements. It seemed likely that with so many dwarves in one area, one of them might be their new soulmate. Excitement spread down the line at that news, and however tired they were no longer seemed to matter. The geese seemed to speed up a little bit in anticipation as well. They knew precisely where they were going. 

The great underground city was alive with activity when they emerged from the tunnel to overlook it. Lanterns burned outside of nearly every dwelling and there were dwarves everywhere carrying on their daily routines, bustling here and there, or simply kicking back and enjoying each others' company. The family never minded being around other dwarves. They made the journey here or to any of the other nearby dwarven towns on a regular basis for supplies or to sell their wares. But the idea of living among the other dwarves in such close proximity wasn't for them. They all liked the idea of making their own home and keeping to it. Even if their caverns were cramped and damp and rusty at times, it was still their home. 

The geese led them straight through town, right up one of the main walkways, over bridges, down stairs, around parks. As they passed, other dwarves waved at them but did not beckon them to stop. The sight of a flock of soulmate geese was unmistakable, and the other dwarves knew this was important business. 

A number of likely candidates caught their eye, however. There was a good-looking baker standing at the window of a shop where the most delightful smells came wafting over to them. Excellent cooks they had on hand already, but no one who could bake that well. The geese let them onward, however. There were a few dwarves sitting on a rock ledge, their feet in the water along with long fishing poles. Providing daily fresh fish sounded like an excellent skill for a seventh marriage member to have. But the geese did not even pause to admire the dwarves' catches. They passed right by a seamstress and her apprentice. They passed by a whiskey distillery filled to the brim with workers. They passed by a cooper making barrels, a chandler selling candles in his store, and a cobbler putting together a fine pair of boots. The geese seemed to know right where they were going, and, unfortunately, it wasn't to any of these dwarves. 

The goose took them on a windy path into the center of town and then right out of it again. Dwellings became more sparse, as did the dwarves. Curiosity was still at an all-time high, but now there was some disappointment as well. The family wondered how far the geese were going to take them. If no one in town was the right match, what could the geese possibly be looking for? 

The path leading out of town was a bit wider than the one leading in had been. Instead of having to walk single file, they could double up. And they did so in various, frequently changing pairings, though almost always with Gloin and whoever else he was walking with taking the lead. Gloin's sharp eyes never once lost sight of the geese ahead of them in the tunnels. 

After what seemed like days of walking but was only about five hours, Sima decided it was time for them all to eat. Nord's softly rumbling belly eagerly agreed, so he spread one of the blankets out in the middle of one of the passages and they all squeezed onto it with food Sima had brought along in the center.

“Wish we'd picked up some of that ale we saw in town,” Toron said, tearing into his sandwich with enthusiasm just the same. 

“You mean some of this?” Frár pulled a bottle from his bag almost like magic, and cheers went up throughout the family, echoing down the tunnel in both directions. “I thought we might want to give it as a gift to the newcomer.”

Oin held his hand out for the bottle. “What a kind thought, Frár. But you already packed something from home for that purpose, didn't you?”

Frár nodded. “Aye, I did, but I’m not sure it’s as nice as this…”

“I am confident your gift is better than you think it is.” With that, Oin uncorked the bottle and took a healthy swig from it. “Most excellent.” He passed it to Gloin, who helped himself likewise and continued to pass it on. 

The geese had stopped journeying as well, the moment the family had stopped following, so now the geese were milling about, angling to see if they could to get a piece of sandwich bread or unwanted crust. As it turned out, they could. One thing that was generally understood by dwarves—Toron's defensive instincts not withstanding—was the benefit to keeping the soulmate geese happy. A happy soulmate goose meant a happy soulmate, or so the saying went. To that end, after each dwarf had drunk their share of the ale, they let each of the geese sample it as well. 

When the party packed up and resumed their walk, the slightly tipsy soulmate geese were quite a sight to see. The geese moved more slowly, meandering more, not keeping their course in a straight line. Several bumped into cave walls or into each other. It was difficult to keep a straight face. 

“Do you remember that first goose?” Sima asked Gloin as they walked, hand-in-hand, behind the wobbly gaggle. 

“I remember how it kept attacking me,” Gloin answered, absentmindedly rubbing at a spot on the back on his head with his free hand. He had secured his axe on his back during the meal to leave both hands free and had not bothered to take it out again when they resumed walking. “The geese worked fast that day, didn't they?”

“Aye,” Sima nodded. “It led me right to you, we were about to seal the arrangement with a kiss, and then another goose arrived almost immediately for Oin. I couldn't believe my good fortune at having you both. Some days, I still cannot.” She glanced back over her shoulder at her other husbands. “I love our marriage, love who we have become together. I don't want our dynamic to change.” 

Gloin squeezed her hand. “Don't be nervous, my bright gem. Anyone the geese lead us to will be right for our family. Whoever it is will fit into what we have, just as the others have. Aye?”

She thought about it for a moment, looked again over her shoulder, then nodded back. “Aye, you're right.” Then she leaned over and kissed his cheek before dropping her hand and hanging back a moment so she could take up a place at Oin's side and have a conversation with him. She proceeded to speak to each one of her husbands in the same manner, working her way through in order, ending with Frár. After she gave Frár a kiss, he slid around and hugged her from behind, tracing his hands down her curving sides as if sculpting them himself. She giggled a little when his touch tickled at her waist and placed her hands on his, warm and reassuring. 

If they could have spared time for intimacy, Sima would have called upon them all to do so. She imagined them not even bothering to put blankets down and, instead, having each other right there against the tunnel walls or on the dirt and rock path. She imagined the geese watching, studying their movements as if they needed that information to be sure they were leading the party to the right dwarf who would become part of this. All those little eyes on them as they made love was an intoxicating notion. But they couldn’t stop just now. They needed to keep up with the geese. They were headed into rockier terrain now, which would take some careful footwork and navigating. So she sighed as she pulled away from Frár. 

They helped each other along when the path narrowed to almost nothing, forcing them to inch along a cliff side with their fronts or backs pressed to the cavern wall and only the toes of their boots on the little ledge. They held tight to each other’s hands. They lifted each other up and lowered each other down. They moved slowly and carefully but with the skill of dwarves who had been born and raised in caves. These rocks might not be familiar to them, but the careful way of climbing, stepping, and maneuvering was second nature to them. 

The geese had to worry about none of this, of course. They took flight, avoiding the most treacherous spots simply by flying past. Occasionally they honked at the family, either supportively or impatiently, the dwarves weren’t entirely sure which. 

“Perhaps they expect one of us to fall to our deaths,” Nord said, looking down, down, down at the almost endless black beneath him. The toe of Nord’s boot found a pebble and slipped slightly. He tightened his grip on Toron’s hand, knowing his husband would not let him fall, no matter what. “Perhaps there were only ever meant to be six in our marriage.”

“Perhaps you’re the most foolish dwarf in a century,” Toron replied, grasping hold of Nord with both hands now and hauling him up onto a wider ledge. Toron’s rough lips grazed Nord’s cheek reassuringly. Nord thanked him with a proper kiss instead, grateful to feel stable and safe at least for the moment in his husband’s strong arms. “Nord, my love, I need to help the others,” Toron whispered as he pulled out of the kiss. “Hold tight to my belt, aye? Keep me anchored here?” Gloin and Oin were already safe on the ledge; they were stronger and could easily have helped out. But he had asked Nord, and Nord loved him for that, needing to feel useful, even though he knew Toron probably didn’t really even need his help. 

“Aye. Of course.” He held tight to Toron’s belt with both hands as Toron helped Frár and Sima up as well. They sat down and passed around a skin of water as they rested a moment to catch their breath. 

“Wouldn’t all this make more sense if the geese visited our soulmate and led him or her to us instead of all of us trekking out together to search?” Gloin asked, taking the opportunity to consult his map. 

Frár leaned close to him, inspecting the map over his shoulder. He made a dwarvish sound of agreement in the back of his throat. “Perhaps this journey is only one that a team of dwarves could make.” 

Gloin nodded. “I suppose that could be true. There was a moment back there…” he trailed off, looking back at the rock cliff. They had skill on their side, but there was a bit of luck involved in all of this as well. He hoped that their soulmate was not too much further ahead. If they had to walk through all of Middle Earth, they certainly would. But it would be much better if they could be back home for dinner by tomorrow with a new family member in tow. 

“We’re all safe,” Sima reassured him, leaning forward a little to catch his eye, as she was too far away to touch him. “Though we should probably continue on. The geese are waiting for us.” She pointed, and they all looked in the direction their current path would take them. Sure enough, the narrow ledge led directly to another tunnel system. At the mouth of that stood the flock of geese, milling around, waiting for the dwarves to catch up. 

One by one, they stood back up and continued onward, shuffling, pulling, stretching, scaling the walls as needed. 

The tunnel system here seemed endless, complex, and labyrinthine. If Gloin hadn’t been fastidious about marking down their journey on his map, it was highly possible that they might never find their way back home again. The idea of them wandering around forever was somewhat amusing to them but not at all conducive to their normal dynamics. They would all miss their home, such as it was, and their bed, cramped as it was. But they would also miss that sense of familiarity and rightness that came with living where you chose and making a space your own. All of them were looking forward to helping their new seventh fit in and feel that with them. 

Before long, hey came upon another town, one they’d not been to before, and their spirits lifted. Then those same hopes lowered as the geese led them right through without much chance to stop. They did manage to pick up some food, however, which they dined on later that night when they were so tired they were forced to stop. Nord was practically dead on his feet, shuffling forward, running into the back of whoever happened to be in front of him at the time. Sima took him in her arms, helping him down to the ground, and letting him use her lap as a pillow. Oin tore bits of beef off a bone and fed them to Nord until Nord fell asleep almost in mid-chew. The others were nearly as tired and ate quickly so they could go to sleep as soon as possible. 

They spread their bedrolls out on the floor of a large cavern they found, not caring so much whose blanket was whose, using half the blankets for below and half on top of them. In the middle, they were a jumble of warm dwarves, all tired limbs, sore backs, and full bellies. Toron slept with his axe handle cradled against his chest, just in case they should meet danger during the night. And the others had their weapons close-by as well.

*

Luckily, however, none were needed. The worst that befell them was the geese waking them up in the morning by honking and pecking at them frantically.

The dwarves groaned and pulled themselves up and out of each other’s warm embraces. Nord took charge of shaking off and rolling up the blankets while the others kept the geese from doing any lasting damage to their party. The mean little things were more impatient today, though, which the dwarves took to be a sign that their soulmate was nearby. 

They passed around a loaf of bread and some apples for breakfast as they continued along, following the geese up or down staircases carved into rockfaces, around large underground lakes, even down short slides. Seeing geese slide down a stone chute was something indeed, though their nervous and startled honks did grate on the ears by the time it came around to the fourth or fifth goose’s turn. 

It was nearly mid-day when they got to another town. This one was the largest yet and deep under a mountain. 

“Our soulmate’s got to be here,” Gloin commented, looking at the sheer number of doors, windows, and lanterns before them. The odds had to be on their side this time. The geese moved slowly through the town this time, as well, as if honing in on their target, not completely certain of where to find whoever they were seeking out. 

The geese slowed considerably at one group of dwellings stacked on top of each other like a tower with a relatively ingenious lift and pulley system that would allow dwarves to get up to the top and back down again. Instead of jumping onto the lift or even flying up to one of the top homes, the geese waddled onward. Their honks were few and far between now, though; they were quietly concentrating on their search. And, likewise, the family was quiet, filled with such great anticipation it threatened to overwhelm them. 

The geese led them to a small home with some sort of perpetual pendulum and gear system built into the side of the building. A large blade swung back and forth, keeping hedges planted alongside the house constantly trimmed to the exact same height. Both the geese and the dwarves studied it for a moment. But the geese didn’t go for the front door. They moved onward, turning down one path and then another. 

It was clear this wasn’t going to be another instance of just cutting through a town that happened to lie between them and their soulmate. The dwarf was here somewhere… the geese just didn’t seem to know where exactly. 

Emotions swelled when the geese walked up to a small building, took one look at it, and began honking louder than they had during the entire journey. Several of the geese hopped excitedly in place, others rushed at the door, thumping or pounding on the wood. Most straightened their necks, lifting their heads high and honking at top volume. 

Sima put her hands over her ears it was suddenly so loud. “I think this must be it!” she shouted, not sure her words would reach her husbands. 

“Should I try to knock?” Gloin asked, not sure if he could even manage to maneuver around the gaggle of geese to get to the door and even less sure that the knock could even be heard over the noise even if he did. 

Luckily, the door opened a few moments later and the soulmate geese practically spilled inside the dwelling like a feathery wave. They raced around the interior of the place, flapping and honking and surrounding the surprised dwarf who stood inside. 

He was sturdy and round with an unbraided ginger beard that hung down to his belly. His green eyes showed nothing but alarm at his visitors as he wiped greasy hands on the thick, blue apron covering his front. “Hey now! You, get down!” he scolded, trying to shoo one of the geese off what looked like a work table. “And you get out of there! That’s hot, that is!” he told another goose, forcibly grabbing its legs and dragging it back from an open fire pit. It honked and tried to bite at him, springing up and violently attacking as soon as he’d set it down. 

“Oh no you don’t!” Toron exclaimed, racing in. He forced himself in-between the attacking goose and the stranger and immediately got bitten on the hand. He shoved the bird away and did the same for the next that flew at them, wings flapping in a display that was meant to make it look menacing. “Head for the door!” Toron advised the dwarf.

At the same time, Frár shouted from outside, “Come out here!”

And Gloin shouted, “We’ll trap the geese inside!” 

It was a plan that minimized injuries from violent geese, to be sure. But it did mean that once the stranger and Torn were outside and the door was quickly shut, the geese were trapped inside with nothing to do but destroy the place. 

The dwarf pawed sadly at his front door as they heard a crash followed by furious honks. “My workshop,” he moaned softly. Then he turned around and got his first real look at his visitors. “Ah… hello there.” He seemed awkward and pale with shock. He looked down at his hands and then at his feet, shuffling them uncertainly. He rubbed a hand against the back of his neck, smearing a bit of grease there. 

Sima tutted and reached into Oin’s front pocket. She withdrew one of his trusty handkerchiefs, spat onto it, then marched over to him and began cleaning off the back of his neck for him. When she was done with that, she set to work on his hands, slowly wiping one finger at a time. 

Another crash from inside made most of them jump and made the dwarf whimper. 

“Quickest way to get rid of those pests is to kiss us, laddie,” Gloin told him. “Though I suppose you really should have an idea of who you’re kissing.” Then Gloin put his hand over his heart. “Gloin,” he said. “And it’s good to meet you at last.” He elbowed his brother.

“Ooch!” Oin laughed and rubbed his side. “Oin,” he said. “Did the geese hurt you, or did Toron get to you in time?” 

“I’m all right,” said the dwarf. He looked back at his is workshop. “Physically, at least.” 

Oin nodded and walked over to Toron. “Let me see your hand, love. Oooh! Nasty bites. I’ve got something for those. Hang on.” He rifled around for something in his bag and pulled out another handkerchief and a small phial of creamy liquid. 

Toron tried to look tough but winced a little when the moistened cloth touched the tender spots on his hand. “Obviously, I’m Toron,” he said though clenched teeth. “And that hurts!” he pulled his hand away from Oin. One stern look from Oin made him timidly extend his hand, giving it back again for more treatment. 

“I’m being as gentle as I can be,” Oin reassured him. “You’ll have your axe in hand again within the hour if you just let me work.” 

The introductions continued. “I’m Nord,” said Nord. And he would have kept it at that except for Frár stepping on his foot at that moment. “Ow! What’s the meaning of…?” They exchanged a look and Nord suddenly seemed to understand. “Oh, of course I’m happy to meet you. Thrilled, in fact. Another warm body to snuggle up to at night and no more walking today. Best I could hope for. Welcome, by the way.” 

“Nord’s better with words when he’s had some time to think about them,” Frár told the stranger. “And I’m not even half as good with them as he is on a bad day. I prefer working with my hands, just like you do, apparently. I’m Frár. I’m a sculptor and stonecutter.”

“And I’m Sima.” She looked up at him, her eyes wide with longing. “And I’d very much like to be the first to kiss you.” 

The loudest crash yet came from inside the building, and the dwarf winced again. His free hand twitched, wanting to reach for the door latch so he could go in and stop the violent geese from doing any more damage. But he knew that that first dwarf, Gloin, had been right. “Aye, all right then. I just didn’t expect… today… it was just a normal day. I didn’t want… I mean, I had no idea…” 

“I know,” Sima nodded in agreement. “The geese took us by surprise as well. What’s your name?” 

“Oh, right. Sorry. Eagen. I’m Eagen, Son of Horham.” 

“Good to meet you, Eagen, Son of Horham. May I kiss you now?”

Eagen gave a tiny nod, bit his lip, and looked back at his workshop. Through the open window, he could see bits of his worktable, upon which two geese were meddling with his things. He gave a sigh, turned his attention back on the kind lady dwarf, and then nodded a little more decisively. “Aye, please do.”

So Sima lifted his hands to her lips, kissing the back of one and then the other. Then she rocked forward, going up on the toes of her boots in order to kiss him. The kiss shouldn’t have been as much of a surprise as it was. They both knew that it was coming, that it was inevitable. Yet, when their lips met, they both gave a bit of a shocked start at how very right it felt. Sima’s kisses were always full of the same sweetness as her words, so it did not last long. But what it lacked in duration it made up for in quality. It left Eagen, Son of Horham, breathlessly stunned. 

“My turn!” said Frár, rushing forward next. He rubbed a hand on Sima’s back as she kindly stepped aside for him, her eyes still fixed unblinkingly on Eagen’s. Eagen couldn’t tear his gaze from her until he felt a new set of lips on his. And then he couldn’t keep his eyes open. The kiss was deep, passionate, and powerful. He felt weak before it, allowing it to take him over. Frár knew what he was doing, knew his kiss could practically move mountains, let alone hearts. So he put his hand on the back of Eagen’s head to steady him through it, to ground him. And when he pulled away, he grinned. So too did Eagen. “Thank you. That was excellent,” Frár whispered and gave the dwarf one soft parting kiss before backing off to make way for Nord. 

Nord smiled shyly at his new soulmate. “I’m better at words than at kisses, but I suppose if we must…” He closed his eyes and tilted his head. Their kiss was feather light, a dreamy sort of soft sensation where Eagen wasn’t even entirely sure they were kissing until he felt a hand thread comfortingly through the sweaty, stringy ginger hair at the back of his head. Nord stroked him and kissed and Eagen felt himself instantly transported to a world of dreams and romance. He wasn’t even aware when the kiss was over, his eyes still closed, his body leaning forward, still yearning for more. 

And he wasn’t disappointed in that respect, because Toron quickly stepped up next. He grabbed hold of the dwarf’s tunic by the neck, pulled him forward with a sudden jerk, and planted a hard kiss on his lips. The kiss was like nothing Eagen had ever experienced, but instantly he knew he liked it. It was rough and wet and sharply painful with teeth involved, but the way Toron worked his tongue was absolutely incredible. It sent sensations through him he hadn’t known he even wanted to feel. He found himself with two fistfuls of Toron’s tunic by the time the kiss was over and a faint taste of blood in his mouth where his lip had been split open.

Oin sighed and pulled a balm out of his bag for that. He squirted a bit onto his fingertip then wiped it gently over Eagen’s lower lip. Eagen’s eyelids drooped and he stuck his lower lip out, wanting more. Oin’s finger made another pass over, and now Eagen’s lip began to tingle. It was still tingling as Oin pressed his own lips there in a soft, caring kiss. 

There was barely an instant between feeling Oin’s kiss and feeling Gloin’s. The two dwarves must have been standing right beside each other so one could pick up immediately when the other had finished. But where Oin’s kiss had been soft, Gloin’s was commanding. Subtle tilts of the head guided Eagen’s own to tilt one way and then the other. A nudge of fingertips made Eagen’s hand open, fingers splayed, so that Gloin could lace his fingers through. And a gentle tug on Eagen’s beard sent fire through his whole body, settling with need in his groin. 

He wanted them. He wanted them all. 

And when he finally opened his eyes, it was to a bunch of smiling faces looking back at him and silence from behind the door to his work room. “Come in,” he invited them all, noticing the silence coming from his workshop now. The geese were gone, though not forgotten. “Do mind the mess, please. Unexpected company and all that…” His cheeks flushed red. “Honestly, it’s not clean at the best of times. Not sure I even have enough places to sit…” 

“Not to worry. We’ll make places,” said Gloin, “oof!”ing as he sat himself down hard onto the stone floor and then pulled Nord down with him to sit across his lap. Nord laughed and instinctively curled into Gloin’s chest, wrapped an arm around Gloin’s back, and kissed his temple. 

Around them, the others seated themselves on the floor or stools or chairs—whatever seemed available. Toron leaned against the edge of a table, standing as if he might be called upon to leap into action at any moment at the appearance of a fresh gaggle of geese. 

Now that the geese were gone and everything was far less urgent, they could take their time getting to know each other. 

Though he did not have enough seating, Eagen luckily did have more than enough cups to go around. With a slightly shaky hand, he poured ale for them all. But they didn't drink until Gloin held his cup up. “A toast... to seven.” 

“To seven!” they all cheered before downing their drinks. The ale was even better than the stuff Frár picked up yesterday. “I'm an inventor,” Eagen told them, staring down at his apron nervously. “Except, not everything I invent works the way I envision. Some things do, but not all things. I do work as a mechanic as well, fixing and repairing things around town as needed. I like to stay busy.” He gave a little smile. “I expect that with a family this large, staying busy won't be much of a problem.” 

They laughed and agreed. 

“I'm from a big family—there were ten of us in total. Two children and eight parents. There was always something happening. There was always someone to talk to or be with if I felt lonely. But there was room to be who I was as well. When I was twelve, my Firnikfather helped me put together my first workshop and found me things to tinker with. It was my favorite spot in our home.” 

He couldn't miss the looks a few of the dwarves were giving each other and wondered what the looks might mean. Eagen decided not to ask about it just yet. There were other things he wanted to know first. “Have you got any little ones yet?” 

Sima shook her head and looked away, tears in her eyes, though it certainly wasn't her fault and no one blamed her, she often blamed herself. 

“Not yet,” Oin answered softly as both he and Toron moved closer to the stool where Sima sat. Oin sat on the floor, leaning against her leg so she could reach down and stroke his head. He nuzzled his cheek into her thigh. Meanwhile, Toron stood behind her seated form, his arms sliding down over her shoulders from behind. He folded his hands over her chest protectively, even if what he was protecting her from was her own self-doubt. “It's only a matter of time, though.”

“It will happen when it's meant to happen,” Gloin agreed. 

“We’re not ready anyway. We'll need space for a nursery,” said Nord.

They all looked at him. 

He shrugged. “Well, it's true. And we never agreed we wouldn't tell Eagen about our home.”

“Nord...” Gloin said, a light warning in his tone. 

“There's nothing terribly wrong with it,” Nord went on explaining, not caring about the looks his wife and husbands were giving him that heavily hinted he should stop speaking. He was a storyteller, after all, and this was what he felt he needed to tell. “It's just a bit small for us. The family grew faster than we'd planned.”

“Oh, is that all?” Eagen asked, waving his hand dismissively. “I've added plenty of rooms to homes. I even have a machine that does a lot of the hard work of digging into the rock.” 

The dwarves all exchanged looks again, though these ones filled with much more relief and some sort of dawning comprehension. 

Nord pulled his arm back from around Gloin and launched himself forward, hugging Eagen around the neck and middle. Eagen's ale sloshed and spilled a little, and Eagen himself was slightly startled. “Now we know why the geese led us here to you,” Nord whispered to their new soulmate, speaking for all of them in that moment. 

“Oh! I nearly forgot your gift!” Frár dug around in his bag for the present and pulled out a large bundle of rags wrapped around a more delicate something. “We brought you something, of course. That’s tradition, aye? It’s not much, but I hope it’ll do. I’ve been working on it for a while now, and I wasn’t exactly sure why until those geese arrived yesterday.” He peeled away the rags as he spoke and then thrust the gift in Eagen’s direction. “There. It’s not perfect, but I hope that you like it anyway.”

Eagen took it, his hands dipping with the unexpected weight of it. But once he held it up again, he had an up-close look at what it was: a statue. More specifically, it was a statue of the six dwarves that had just become his soulmates. Their likenesses in marble were outstandingly accurate, right down to the braids in their beards and wrinkles in their hands. The six marble dwarves stood with their arms around one another, bonded, caring, loving. And they all stood on a wide, circular base that had gems embedded into it, adding to its value and its beauty. It was the perfect present, and he cherished it already. He had heard of some soulmates simply bringing each other a bottle of ale as a present. 

Eagen began to count the gems in the base: one, two, three, four…

“There’s one for each of us. But, see? There’s also room for one more jewel in the base there,” Frár pointed out. “If you let me know what your favorite is, I’ll put it in there.” 

Eagen thought for a moment, looking at the variety of shiny gems already there, turning the base round and round in his hands for a better look. “Does it have to be a jewel?” he finally asked.

Frár looked thoughtful. “I suppose not. What did you have in mind?” 

“I love jewels, please don’t misunderstand. But for me, iron is the most beautiful element. It is rich with possibility. The way I mold it and make it work for me can fill me with far more joy than the shiniest of gems.” 

Frár slid his hand over Eagen’s hand so that they were both holding the statue. He nuzzled his face into the side of Eagen’s head and kissed his new soulmate’s temple. “Iron it is. What a lovely choice.” 

They decided to let Eagen guess whose jewel was whose as he got to know them over the next few days. It would take that long to pack up all of Eagen’s belongings and arrange for them to be transported home. There were a few smaller inventions and personal items that Eagen did not trust in the hands of professional dwarven movers, so the family would need to carry those. Immediately, Gloin sat down with his map in order to find a safer route home. By nature, soulmate geese always took the most direct route possible, so finding a path around the more treacherous areas like the narrow ledges was only a matter of putting in a little time and effort. 

When it was clear the family would have to stay for a little while, there was talk about what arrangements that would mean. Sima and Frár agreed to go do some shopping at the nearby market so there would be food enough for them. Oin tagged along so that he could replenish a few herbs he was running low on back home as well as a few items they might need on the way back if anyone got injured or ill. Toron used a special contraption Eagen had invented to sharpen the family's weapons on a whetstone. Which left Nord in charge of the sleeping arrangements again. He certainly didn't mind.

Eagen had a bedroom off to the side of his workshop that held one small bed as well as a trunk with all his clothes and a few small trinkets he had acquired over the years. It was clear from one quick look that not everyone would be able to fit in the bed. In fact, it seemed suitable for only one dwarf at a time. “Sima can have the bed,” Eagen said, coming up behind him. “Or if someone else has more need of it…” There was so much he didn’t know still about his new family. 

“That’s kind of you.” Nord put his arm around Eagen’s shoulders and felt the dwarf lean into him instinctively. They were a touching family; that was one thing Nord had noticed right away when the geese had led Gloin, Oin, and Sima to his doorstep. The family he had grown up with had been affectionate and loving in its own way, but not like this. Not with constant touching, petting, stroking, nuzzling, kissing. They loved to make their presence known with a touch or a caress. And, somehow, this made the words even sweeter when they came, like they weighed more, like they were more valuable. It seemed Eagen was right at home with the touching already. “We’ll all sleep on the floor together, I think,” Nord told him. “We brought some blankets, but if you have pillows, we can share those.”

Eagen had pillows, almost enough for each of them to have one. He had blankets, too. It didn’t take long for them to build a large pile of comfort for them all to sleep in. It was so appealing, Eagen almost suggested they try it out now, but he didn't want to overstep. He didn't yet know what intimacy was like in the family. He adjusted a few of the pillows, plumping them as he worked up the courage to say the other thing that was on his mind. “I wanted to thank you, by the way.”

“For what?” 

“For being honest with me, for telling me about the home. And for that hug you gave me. I was feeling a little overwhelmed and nervous, so it meant a lot to know I was appreciated for what I can do.” 

Nord smiled at him. “Aw, of course. We all like to feel like we can contribute and help out, don't we?” He took Eagen's hand and kissed the palm. Then he kissed the wrist in a sensitive spot. “And I promise to always be honest with you.” 

Gloin came in just then and nodded his approval. Then he threw himself right into the middle of the nest of blankets and stretched out with a most delighted noise. He raised both arms, beckoning not just Nord but also Eagen to join him. Nord took the lead, of course, crawling over and snuggling close to his husband. Eagen hesitated for only a few seconds before joining as well. He had his choice of spots amidst the blankets, but lay down beside Gloin, sharing a pillow with him. 

“I am sorry my bedroom is so small,” he said. “If I’d known I would have so many guests, I could have made different arrangements.” 

“Nay, don’t worry yourself about it.” Gloin slid an arm under Eagen’s neck so it was draped around Eagen’s shoulders. “This is larger than what we have back home.”

Eagen frowned at that. “That will be the first thing I fix, then.” Already in his mind, he began designing a large, luxurious bed they could all comfortably fit into. 

“Aye, thank you. But… not too big. We like to be close.” 

As if being called on to demonstrate this, Nord snuggled closer, draping an arm and a leg over Gloin’s side and laying his head on Gloin’s chest. 

“You know, I did happen to notice that.” Eagen was amused but also quite pleased. 

He felt Gloin pet his shoulder then felt him tilt and rest his head against the side of Eagen’s. Eagen stared up at his ceiling. It was the same ceiling as it had always been, but now he felt much different as he gazed up at it. 

“How are you doing with all of this, hmmm?” Gloin asked, his tone soft, not a bit of the commander he had been when he’d initiated that last kiss to complete the requirements from the soulmate geese. “I imagine it was a surprise for you, probably a shock. Every time this happens, events move even more quickly than I expect.”

Eagen took his time to find the right words. “It was a surprise to see the geese and to see all of you when you arrived. And, at the same time, it was no surprise at all. I always wanted to be part of a family. I would wake up every morning wondering if that would be the day the geese visit. And until today, I was always disappointed. I’ll admit it was distressing to have them destroy my workshop; I hadn’t taken that into consideration. But the rest… I couldn’t be happier that you found me… and that you want me.” 

Gloin turned his head and gave Eagen’s cheek a strong, loving kiss. “Of course we want you. You’re our soulmate. You were part of our hearts, whether we knew we were missing it or not.” 

Eagen closed his eyes, feeling Gloin’s beard rub against his cheek and Gloin’s breath against his face. It was the opposite for him, he realized. Eagen had known this was what he was missing. He just hadn’t realized how wonderful it would feel when he finally had it. He couldn’t wait to get to know each of them. He couldn’t wait to move to his new home. He couldn’t wait to fix it up exactly the way they always dreamed and to invent new things to help them. And he definitely couldn’t wait to find out what it was like in their marriage bed. He hoped he would find that last bit out tonight. 

Just like he had carved out space for them to fit in his bedroom, Eagen had to be creative when it came to mealtime. He had only a small, stone table where he both ate and where he tinkered with his inventions. He had never needed anything more. But they couldn't all squeeze around it. There simply wasn't enough space for the food or, for that matter, enough dishes for place settings. 

“Dishes? Pah! We don't need dishes,” Sima reassured him “There's really no need to worry. All we need is good food and family. Now taste this and tell me if you like it.” She held up a spoon that had some sort of root vegetable that had been soaking in a spiced broth. After blowing on it to cool it a little, she lifted the spoon to his mouth. 

Eagen opened his mouth and savored having someone feed him. A moment later, he savored having something so delicious in his mouth. His eyes widened in shock. He chewed and swallowed and moaned. “That was amazing!”

Sima beamed with pride. “Thank you. I wanted to make something special tonight to celebrate you joining our family. From the lack of spices and basic ingredients in your cupboards, it seems to me that you’re not much of a cook.” 

“You are not wrong,” Eagen said with a laugh. “I stick to whatever is quick and easy.” Sometimes he ate out at one of the town restaurants, but most often he ate plain meat and barely-cooked vegetables, the sorts of meals he could prepare in seconds while waiting for a machine to hum to life or for heated, bent metal to cool. 

“Ohhh, then you’re missing out, my love.”

Eagen got a sudden thrill to hear her say that endearment and realize she meant them about him. She had only just met him, and yet she had already opened her heart to him so completely. He fought back tears of happiness and tried to keep his tone light. “If all your meals are as delicious as that one bite, I should say so.”

She shook her head. “Nay, I mean you’re missing out on the joy of cooking. It is akin to inventing, you know. To combine ingredients and tastes to make something brand new and exciting that no one has ever thought of before is thrilling. And then to be able to share that with those you love… even more-so.”

He considered this, nodding. “I’m really no great cook, but I believe I would love for you to teach me.”

Her eyes sparkled. She stirred what was in the pot heating over the fire and pulled out the spoon again. “Would you like another taste?” Eagen did not hesitate to say yes. 

They ate much like the way they had enjoyed that ale, sitting on the floor or whatever furniture was available. The conversation centered mostly around their own flock of soulmate geese. And though each story was different, every one ended with the same wonderful feeling of love and belonging Eagen had experienced so quickly. He wondered if he was to be the last or if there was someone else out there meant to be part of the family. 

After the meal, they concentrated their combined efforts on packing. There were a few things that the geese had ruined beyond reasonable repair, but even those things were getting packed up so that Eagen could use the parts for something else. There were gears and switches, ropes and slopes, simple and complex devices alike. And the packaging of these so they would survive the trip was the trickiest part of it all. 

“Here, let me get that for you,” Toron said, swooping in to take a large box Eagen had been about to pick up. The burly dwarf picked the box up as though it weighed nothing at all. He was gentle, though, when he set it back down on the side of the room they’d cleared out to stack full boxes. 

“Thanks,” said Eagen. He could have carried it himself, but his arms were definitely starting to shake from fatigue already Toron, however, looked like he could do this all day and all night without rest if called upon to do so. “I don’t even have to guess what you bring to the family,” Eagen said, leaning back against a table, arms straight and angled back to prop himself up. 

Toron smiled with pride. “I will never let harm come to you. No one hurts my family.” These were bold, impossible statements, but Eagen nonetheless believed Toron. “Part of that is my strength and skill, of course. But the other part is to train my wife and husbands well so they can defend themselves or each other if called upon to do so. How are you with an axe?”

With a shrug, “Honestly, I am probably better at sharpening a blade than wielding one. But I have a fair amount of skill. I am comfortable with an axe in my hand.” If the situation called for him to use it, he already knew he would not hesitate to do so in order to protect any one of these dwarves. It was so strange how he felt such strong devotion to dwarves he had only just met earlier that day. Did falling for your soulmates normally take time, or was this almost instant attraction and love unique to him and to this family? “Of course, I would benefit further from your instruction.” 

Toron walked over and placed one of his large hands on the small of Eagen’s back. He was so close Eagen could smell his intoxicating scent of sweat. He wondered what Toron looked like without his clothes on, all toned and muscular. He wondered what a strong hug from Toron felt like and realized he didn’t want to wait until that night to find out. “Could you…” he started, feeling a little self-conscious to ask. There was so much work to be done yet.

Toron didn’t want for him to finish. He stripped off his outer tunic as though he were getting overheated. The under tunic had no sleeves and showed every curve and hard line of his body. He stepped even closer and wrapped his arms around Eagen. Instantly, Eagen melted into him, practically going boneless. He never wanted this embrace to end. He wanted to feel this protected and cared for always.

But, far too soon, Toron stepped back. He did not put his tunic back on, however, so Eagen was treated to the sight of his muscles flexing as he picked up another heavy box to carry it across the room, setting it down in a new stack right beside the front door. Eagen bit his lip. There were so many things to appreciate about his new family. He felt like the luckiest dwarf in all of Middle Earth today. The geese had certainly been kind to him. 

The family worked so hard packing everything up that Eagen was a little worried they might all be too exhausted to do anything but sleep this first night. After all, they had also made the journey to find him on foot, and the cavern system in this part of Middle Earth was extensive. He left them to settle themselves down in the bedroom while he went to wash up, finding that his hands were shaking as he repeatedly splashed cool water on his face. Droplets clung to his beard, and he dried off with the large towel on the side of the basin, finding it already damp from so many others using it. He took care in his washing, hoping they would notice his effort and hoping they would find him an appealing partner. He knew soulmate geese never made mistakes, yet he was still anxious about what he might find in that bedroom. He had never had so many partners at once and had never before desired so many dwarves at the same time. Exhausted as he was, he hoped that if something happened tonight, he would not fall asleep during it. 

The bedroom door opened and Nord appeared. Eagen was not expecting this and was certainly not expecting him to close the door behind him so they two could be alone in the workshop. “I promised to be honest with you, aye?”

Eagen tried to speak, but his nerves caught the words in his throat and held them there. Instead, he nodded. 

“The truth is that we would all very much like to make love with you tonight. But we all understand what you must be going through and if you’re not ready—”

“I’m ready!” Eagen blurted out at once, scared that he might somehow miss his chance. 

Nord gave him a warm, supportive smile. “That’s good to hear. But if you change your mind at any time, we understand. Please know that this isn’t the sort of marriage where someone dictates and we all obey whether we want to or not. We don’t want anyone to feel pressured. There will be times even in the future you might not feel like joining in and other times somebody might do something you’re not ready for. We want you to be comfortable with your participation. And above all else, we want you to enjoy yourself. We want you to feel good.” He took Eagen’s hand and threaded his fingers through, squeezing. “If at any time you don’t feel good, just let us know. And if you can’t say it because you’re too nervous to speak up in front of everyone or because you’ve got a cock in your mouth at the moment or something like that, just squeeze my hand like this, okay?” He gave it another squeeze. “Or squeeze Oin’s hand. We’ll both keep close to you just in case. That’s our job tonight.” 

Eagen nodded. He wasn’t even in the room yet and already feeling intimidated. But he was still eager and curious and, above all, desirous. “Thank you,” he told Nord as he pulled his hand back. Then he leaned in for a kiss that Nord joined at once. It felt reassuring and tender at the same time. For a simple action of lips pressed to lips, it was astounding how there were so many different kinds of kisses. Eagen looked forward to tonight’s sampling. “Let’s go,” 

Eagen started out in the middle. It was unavoidable, really, as the newest member. They sat or lounged on the blankets in a circle with him in the middle. True to his word, Nord sat the closest to him on one side, but every time he looked around the group, Oin was watching him just as closely. Each of the dwarves took it in turns to move forward to kiss him or embrace him or even just pet him. Then the dwarf would pull back and another would already be moving in. They did the same to each other around the circle, not speaking at all, only touching. But their touch said enough to begin with. It said welcome. It said he was beautiful. It said they wanted him. And he most certainly wanted them back. He was almost instantly hard and all the touching made him feel hot with desire and tingly all over. 

Just as he was wondering if they always made love so very quietly, Toron burst out with a chuckle that turned into a growl around the words “Fuck this slowness.” He pulled off his own shirt and then leapt at Eagen. “I’m going for it.” He practically pounced on Eagen, pushing him back onto the blankets and pillows. He wrapped one arm around his newest soulmate as he took him in a deep, hard kiss while his other hand slid hungrily into Eagen’s britches. 

Another one of the dwarves—Gloin, perhaps—undid the string at Eagen’s waistband and pulled his britches down then off completely. Then the dwarf moved on to doing the same thing to Toron. Clothes were soon strewn everywhere around, flung onto the trunk or under the bed. And then when any of them touched him, he felt more skin instead of cloth. But he also felt lips and beards and hair. He felt fingers knead into his bare back. He felt a hot, wet tongue make a slow, languid journey up his back to his neck. 

Eagen gave a shiver and a gasp. Then he felt a hand take his hand. Knowing it was Nord’s, Eagen smiled but did not squeeze it in distress. He was all right. In fact, he felt better than he could ever remember feeling. 

There were dwarves everywhere, touching him from all directions now. There were hands squeezing his arse and ones tugging his beard. There was a mouth playing with his earlobe and another teasing his nipples. And as much as they were touching and teasing and kissing him, they were doing the same to each other. They moved from partner to partner in a slow, sensual wave. There was no pattern, just lust and opportunity and desire. They each seemed to be everywhere at once, pleasing each other as they pleased him. 

And now they were no longer silent. There were moans and grunts and gasps filling the small room. But the thing Eagen loved most were the requests. 

“Harder… harder!” grunted one. 

“Touch me there. Squeeze it, ohh!” gasped another. 

“Och, no. You have to angle down a little, oh aye… aye, that’s it,” purred yet another. “Now don’t slip out again!”

“Lick me while you… oh… Mmmm… just like that,” said one, whose breathing quickened considerably. 

Even without all the physical stimulation he was feeling, Eagen might have gotten off from just their comments alone. The desperate, carnal sensations of all sorts surrounding him were impossible to resist. He felt his own urges begin to build, and he didn’t think he could stop them even if he wanted to. 

“Aye,” growled one dwarf. “You love when I do that, don’t you?” 

Eagen wasn’t sure if that was meant for him or for someone else. He wasn’t even sure which of the sensations he was experiencing it was referring to. Was it the cock teasing his hole or the teeth grazing his nipples or the tongue lapping against his? Or maybe it was the mouth wrapped around his cock, sucking? Or the hand on his balls, stroking? He had no idea. All he could do was whimper and grab hold of someone’s beard as an almost blinding orgasm overwhelmed his body. 

He hardly had time to catch his breath when it was over, even if he had wanted to take the time, which he didn’t. He wanted to make the others feel as good as they’d made him feel. He wanted to thank them and prove his prowess. But, mostly, he just wanted to have a good time. So, sated and blissful, he reached out and gave what he could. 

It didn’t take as long as Eagen would have expected for all seven of them to have their needs met. And Eagen found himself trying to commit things to memory, learning what sort of touches each of them liked most. The fact that Toron liked to be on top was not surprising, but the fact that Sima liked to take control as well did. She was normally so soft and kind, but in bed she knew exactly what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ask her husbands for it. There was always at least one free who could oblige. Nord liked to be held when he stroked himself, and Gloin liked to be the one holding; in fact, he liked his hands on everything, be it a stiff cock or a sweaty, hairy chest. Frár liked things slow, seeming to take in every second of the experience when Toron thrust into him. And the thing Oin seemed to like to enjoy the most was the aftercare. Each time one of them came, he would be there with a fresh cloth to wipe a dwarf clean and a soft kiss to pull the dwarf from bliss back into the world again. 

It was hard to mark exactly when it turned from making love to snuggling down to sleep for the night. The two blended into each other seamlessly. As they settled in for sleep, they still did a fair amount of caressing, kissing, and touching. Eagen felt himself go hard again as one of his new soulmates rubbed his backside up against Eagen’s front. He heard a soft, pleased growl. “Oh, I like you very much,” came a whisper. “I definitely think we’ll keep you.” And, suddenly, there was this invitation in front of him he couldn’t resist. Then there was a warm arm around him. And a kiss on the back of his neck. And something slick rubbed onto his cock. And before he knew it, he was rocking forward, his cock buried in someone’s arse, and he wasn’t even sure whose. He finished with urgent thrusts, feeling the arm around him squeezing to hold him tight as his body began to tremble. 

When he had finished, he was so exhausted he could barely open his eyes again. There was wiping and kisses and an even tighter embrace from behind. “There’s a good love,” he heard someone coo. A kiss was dropped onto his brow. 

“Get some sleep,” another dwarf whispered. And then there were echoed sentiments all over, soulmates wishing each other sweet dreams and good rests. 

It never went silent, however. There was always someone shifting around among the blankets or readjusting his position slightly to get more comfortable. There were pleased little murmurs of love and affection. There was slow, deep breathing. And there were loud, sonorous snores. Eagen lay awake, not because of the noise but because he wanted to become familiar with their sounds. He would never be alone again, and he couldn’t be happier.

*

When morning came, no one really wanted to get leave their makeshift bed. Everyone was warm and comfortable under the blankets, with dwarves snuggled in on all sides. Eagen had managed a few hours of sleep after all, and woke with his head using Oin’s chest as a pillow, one of his legs trapped in-between Sima’s thick thighs, and one of his arms tingling and asleep still as it lay beneath Frár’s heavy body. He lifted his hand and rubbed at his face to wake himself up, knowing another few splashes of cool, mountain spring water would do a better job of that.

There was a whole lot of packing still to do, and he had not yet invented something that could do the packing all on its own. Besides that, he needed to put on clothes. And he wanted to make sure there was enough for his family to eat for breakfast. He was still no better at cooking than he’d been the day before, but toast, jam, and eggs weren’t especially difficult to prepare. 

When he felt a hand on his back and a kiss to his cheek a few minutes into making things, he guessed it might be Sima. But he was amazed when he turned to find he’d been correct. Perhaps getting to know them wasn’t going to be so difficult? Perhaps all it took was for him to trust his own intuition and instincts. Wordlessly, she knocked her hip playfully into his side as she picked up a spoon and took over at the pan, handling the eggs.

There were very few problems throughout the day. Sometimes it required more than two dwarves to carry something particularly heavy. Sometimes inventions did not come apart as easily as Eagen had hoped they would while others were quick and easy to pack up safely. He spent a little time sketching a few of them so that he could be sure they went back together the right way. 

“This must be difficult for you,” Frár said thoughtfully, handing a screwdriver from the toolbox to him. “I can’t imagine taking apart one of my creations.” 

Eagen shrugged. “They should be able to be rebuilt, just as good as new. Honestly… I might even able to tinker with a few of them to make them better. I’m a little excited about that.” The invention he was currently taking apart was for washing clothes. All you had to do was flip a switch and the machine agitated the sudsy water all on its own. He didn’t use it all that often himself, but in a family this size, such a thing surely would come in handy if he could build it on a slightly larger scale. Perhaps he could even build it its own room in his new home. A room just for laundry; what a novel idea.

The invention was currently tucked under a table, out of the way. So he crawled under, dragged it out, and picked it up. Shifting the device kicked up a small cloud of dust. Eagen felt a strong urge to sneeze, but he couldn’t drop the machine. So he ducked his head and pressed his nose into his upper arm as best he could as he sneezed. “ _Choof!_ ” The miraculous tingle of relief he felt at this was short-lived, his large nose still twitching from the dust. He wound up for another, eyes closed tight, face screwed up. “ _Huhh-CHOOFF!_ ” He had always thought that it felt so genuinely good to sneeze. 

Suddenly, like magic, Oin was there with a clean handkerchief, wiping his nose dry for him, fussing over him, and clinging to his side with… well, even more affection than he’d shown in bed the night before. Oin murmured a blessing and did not ask if Eagen needed help. He only asked, “Any more where that came from?”

Eagen gave a slow, shy smile. He started to reply, but then noticed the others had all stopped what they were doing and were watching him as well. The answer to the question was, of course, a simple no. But, as everyone continued to stare at him, he knew he couldn’t say that. Instead, he sniffed and whispered a soft, almost seductive, “Maybe.” 

Which was when he found himself tackled to the floor—the rather dusty floor.

*

Eagen took a deep breath and slowly let it out as he took one last look at the house where he’d spent the past five years of his life. He’d already said his farewells to the dwarves in town he was friendly with and made arrangements with those who he normally did business with. Everything he owned would either be given away—in the case of dishes and furniture that wasn’t needed—transported for him later in the week—in the case of the larger items—or carried to his new home—in the case of personal items as well as things he would need more immediately. So all that was left was to make peace with the idea of leaving this world behind forever.

“Do you need a moment alone to say goodbye to your workshop?” Gloin asked, putting a hand on Eagen’s back. Gloin seemed hardly capable of conversing with anyone without touching them, and Eagen loved that about him. 

Eagen felt his eyes misting and reached up, swiping the back of his hand at them. 

“Oh, love. Nay, here. Take this.” He searched around in his pocket and made a sound of frustration. He turned around, calling out to the family that stood not far down the path they’d originally taken to the village. “Oin, I need a clean hanky.” 

Oin headed over, searching his pockets and bag. “Clean-ish?” Oin handed one over. 

Gloin gave it a quick look over. “Aye, that’ll do.” Gloin dried Eagen’s eyes for him but held onto the handkerchief in case more tears spilled out the way they were threatening to do already. He waited for Oin to go back to the others before he pressed his lips to Eagen’s ear and gave the softest whisper, “If this arrangement causes you any distress, you’d best tell us now before we head out. We don’t want to fall in love with you and find that you’re miserable with us.” 

Eagen shook his head. “It’s not that.” He turned his head, smiling pointedly at Gloin. “I love you. I love you all. It’s just, deep down, I never really believed all this would happen, and then it all happened so quickly. One moment the geese were here and then they were gone. I keep feeling like all of this will end as quickly as it started, that I’ll wake up one morning and realize…” Thinking that all of this could be a dream was absurd, and Eagen knew it. But, at the same time, hadn’t he dreamed about this moment his whole life? Hadn’t he dreamed for a family to come claim him as their soulmate and take him home? How could he trust that this wouldn’t fade the way all the dreams before had? 

Gloin wiped the handkerchief beneath Eagen’s eyes and over his cheeks again. Then he put two fingers on Eagen’s cheek, guiding the dwarf to turn his head. He pressed his lips to Eagen’s softly at first and then stronger, deeper. His hand slipped from Eagen’s cheek to the back of Eagen’s head, holding fast as he kissed. Instead of pulling back completely, he kept his face close as he ended the kiss and whispered, “This is real. This is happening. Whether you come with me now or not, you’re my soulmate and always shall be. And I’ll love you forever because I was made to do so. Soulmate geese don’t make mistakes.” 

Eagen’s breath caught around a sob. He swallowed hard. Then he took one more look at his workshop, spun around on the toes of his boots, and walked in the direction of his dreams.

**Author's Note:**

> Written during NaNoWriMo 2018


End file.
